Bread Pudding

no ratings yet

For many families, one of the traditions of Mother’s Day is that mom is treated to breakfast made by the kids. But knowing a kitchen full of dishes awaits is enough to spoil any mom’s appetite. So we’ve come up with some streamlined breakfast ideas so that mom not only gets a delicious breakfast but a clean kitchen too!

Bread puddings were traditionally a thrifty dessert to use up bread too stale for sandwiches. But now you’ll find bread pudding not only on the dessert menu of many fine restaurants, but the brunch menu as well. If mom likes sweet breakfasts, make her the Mock French Toast Pudding. If she prefers dishes like omelets, try the Ham and Cheese Savory Pudding. Instead of fruit salad, use whole fresh fruit as a side (less prep and clean up) and you’ll have cooked up a very memorable morning for mom.

What You Do:

To make the french toast pudding: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. You will need a 1 ¾ quart casserole dish and a pan with 2 inch sides that is large enough to hold the casserole dish.

Line the pan with aluminum foil and bake the sausage according to the directions on the package (usually 20 minutes at 350 degrees).

While the sausage is cooking, make the pudding. In a large bowl whisk together the whole eggs, egg yolks, half-and-half and maple syrup.

On the cutting board, cut the croissants into 2 inch chunks. Add the bread chunks into the egg mixture and stir carefully so that all the bread is covered with the egg mixture. Allow to soak for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

One the sausage is cooked set on cutting board and cool until easy to handle. Then cut the sausage into bite-size pieces and add to the bread pudding. Pour the mixture into the quart dish, and place that dish into the pan you just used to cook the sausage. (By lining it tightly with aluminum foil you can reuse the pan just by removing the foil).

Fill the pan 1 inch high with hot water. Heating the water in a kettle works well since it makes pouring easy too. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until the pudding puffs up and the custard is set. Remove from the oven and cool slightly before serving. Serve with a side bowl of raspberries.

For the ham and cheese pudding, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. You will need a 1 ¾ quart casserole dish and a pan with 2 inch sides that is large enough to hold the casserole dish.

In a large bowl whisk together the eggs, egg yolks, half-and-half and mustard.

On the cutting board, cut the croissants into 2 inch chunks. Add the bread chunks into the egg mixture and stir carefully so that all the bread is covered with the egg mixture. Allow to soak for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the cheese and ham. Pour mixture into casserole dish and place into larger pan.

Fill the pan 1 inch high with hot water. Heating the water in a kettle works well since it makes pouring easy too. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until the pudding puffs up and the custard is set. Remove from the oven and cool slightly before serving. Serve with a side bowl of grapes.